iOS apps for writing and development.

[Tim Hole]

Ok maybe I want too much but it doesn't seem like it. I would build one myself if I only knew how,

The iPad is set up to be one of the single greatest assets for writers yet there is no single app that does everything I want it to do. In fact there isn't two apps that work seemlessly together to do what I want to do.

Writing scripts is a relatively speedy process. Its takes usually about 2-4 weeks to write an exploratory draft of a feature length script. The amount of re-writes is a whole other story. The part where the iPad is most valuable to me is in the developnent side.

my issues:

My dream app would be combining Pages with Celtx and Groodreader.

There is no decent writing application that allows tree based folder organisation (that is where Goodreader and Meteor are great) but their text editors are so basic and so uninspiritng to use.

Pages is fantastic but there is no folder integration (apart from single folder use). I cannot work with just one folder for characters, one folder for storyworld, one for ideas, narrative struture.

The amazing thing about Goodreader is that you can integrate with dropbox or whatever you like, you can accress the web in the app, save links to webpages, and has a great PDF annotation side. But not decent text editing or creation side (obviously not what it was designed for).

The amazing thing about Celtx desktop app is not the freeware price or the slightly buggy scriptwriting software, its the organisation. Its the ability to link internet pages, pictures, the ability to have an endless folder tree of organisational folders with one per chatracter, all my ideas and notes organised. The script development templates, and even the project development side of things but thats something different again.

I though iCloud would solve this problem for me, and allow a better integration from Pages to other apps but not so.

What I do now...I write in pages and export it from Pages to an Box.net email that sends it straight to Goodreader. I can thaen re-open it from Goodreader into Pages. Its hardly ideal but it works.

Ranty is over. Now does anyone have a better idea for a workflow, or know an app that I don't.

Its driving me mad.

 

[Josh Snyder]

Who the hell writes anything with ipad? Seriously.

 

[Chris Adler]

I could see wanting to scribble some ideas as the muse strikes, but sitting down to write 10 pages of script seems completely wrong on a tablet. But maybe that's just because I haven't done it.

 

[Tim Hole]

Looks like you just met someone who does (and I am definitely not the only one). Well I have been doing for the last four months and its the best experience I've had as a writer. Sure it doesn't work for everyone but sure as hell works for me. You don't realise how loud your computer is until you turn it off, my monitors are too big. I like being able to lean back, grab the tablet to flick through notes and browse the web. I use a stand for the iPad and a wireless keyboard. I get up and go, and take it all with me. Obviously this can be done with a laptop but its a more pleasurable experience with the iPad, and far lighter and smaller. I got into bad habits writing on my computer and really wanted to physically move away from it to write. I wanted a designated writing area that was away from my computer. At the other end of my desk (I have a very long desk).

Don't see what the big deal is, I've got perfectly good eye sight. I don't strain to see what I am writing. Happy days, if you can find the right workflow.

 

[Terry Delahunt]

Look like Final Draft are working on something. http://www.finaldraft.com/products/ipad/

 

[Tim Hole]

Thanks! It's taking them far too long to get it together though! Its been postponed once because they wanted to go the whole hog with it. I know they want it to be absolute, a mirror of their desktop app but it is taking a long time. It'll still just be a scriptwriting tool though, which will be awesome but what I really want is somethimg for the development side. Wish I had the know-how to create what I want to use. Frustrating!!

 

[Erich Ocean]

I'm currently working on an iOS/Mac app pair that will let me update a script on my Mac Book Air during a read through, and then have the formatted script appear on the actor's iPads so they can do another read through with the new text. Should make those sessions much more productive...

 

[Rob Moog]

Tried Adobe Story? I appreciate it's comprehensiveness as well as the ability to collaborate in real time on multiple platforms.

 

[Zack Birlew]

Believe me, I want this capability for the iPad just a much as you do. Unfortunately, the Final Draft app seems to be the only option from what I understand, so it's looking like a waiting game for now. At least there are some basic screenwriting apps to mess around with in the meantime.

 

[Iannis Holwech]

It is very unclear from the OP what he is looking for and what he is unhappy with when it comes to Celtx?

If you make a Celtx web account and have your projects "in the cloud" with full project synchronisation between your desktop, iPad and iPhone.

What more than that do you want?

 

[Tim Hole]

It is very unclear from the OP what he is looking for and what he is unhappy with when it comes to Celtx?

If you make a Celtx web account and have your projects "in the cloud" with full project synchronisation between your desktop, iPad and iPhone.

What more than that do you want?

Sorry if I was unclear, I was possibly having a minor rant. Writing the actual script is not a problem there are a few apps that work, Celtx being one of them.

To be clear:

An app that includes:

A friendly and relatively comprehensive writing (just standard text) app with similar capabilities to Pages, not just a bare-bones text editor. The ability to add images would be a nice addition.
Direct integration of something like Dropbox that is present within the app allowing for multiple folders within folders (trees). So you can create/save and edit documents and choose where they are going to be held within folders.
The ability to add weblinks as pages that open on the web. This is an important addition
With dropbox integration also would be able to preview images.

Whilst it would be awesome to have all this within a screenwriting app would be great it is a little too much to hope for.

Basically as I posted above I just would like an iPad version of the Celtx destop app. I make a lot of notes when I am researching and developing scripts...all the way to directing or cinematographic inspiration. I just want the ability to organise them in folders properly. I have a few work arounds to do this but nothing that is ideal. The Studio version only opens and saves scripts. You can just write text documents in Celtx app and integrate them in the cloud through the Studio, however they are still labelled as scripts and there is no folder option.

Tried Adobe Story? I appreciate it's comprehensiveness as well as the ability to collaborate in real time on multiple platforms.

Story is not available on the iPad though is it?!

Believe me, I want this capability for the iPad just a much as you do. Unfortunately, the Final Draft app seems to be the only option from what I understand, so it's looking like a waiting game for now. At least there are some basic screenwriting apps to mess around with in the meantime.

We'll wait and see what Final Draft come up with, at the very least we will have the ability to write premises and outlines, character development et al. As well as just scripts. The important part for me will be how Final Draft allows us to organise all these documents.

I'm currently working on an iOS/Mac app pair that will let me update a script on my Mac Book Air during a read through, and then have the formatted script appear on the actor's iPads so they can do another read through with the new text. Should make those sessions much more productive...

That's very interesting. One of the main reason the iPad is amazing for filmmakers is its ability to be used in all aspects of the process. In things like production meetings particularly.